Touched
by Little Blue Pixie
Summary: Everyday our lives are touched. Walking down the streets, running through an alley way or sitting on a rooftop. The turtles have unknowingly affected the lives of many people, whether the result is helpful or disastrous. These are those stories, the tales of those touched lives.
1. Red Flag

**Summary:** _"So, what yer just gonna give up? You were gonna let the words of some idiots get to you?"  
_**Characters:** _Raphael & OC (Rachel)  
_**Genre:** _Angst/Comfort/Friendship  
_**Written On: **_July 6th, 2012_

**A/N:** Welcome to the first chapter of Touched and my first story here on Fan Fiction! I am so touched that you decided to read my story (hahaha get the pun?) and hope you do enjoy it. The entire idea for this came from when I was re-watching some episodes from the TMNT 2003 series.

I noticed the turtles run into _a lot_ of people and it's bound to have some effect right? Well, I decided to write about the different encounters they might have with these people and how they've 'touched' their lives in some way or another. Every chapter will have a different character and some of the characters will be canon and some will be OCs. It will pretty much be a series of related one-shots all set in the 2003 series universe. So without further delay, go ahead and I hope you enjoy it.

TMNT © Nickelodeon

* * *

**01: Red Flag**

"Build a ladder if there's a wall  
Don't be afraid to slip and fall  
Speak for yourself or they'll speak for you"

-_Red Flag, Billy Talent_

The city was full of life, cars sped down the roads and were congested with traffic, people walked down the sidewalks with a purpose and the lights continually flickered in the streets below. New York was known as the city that never slept and its citizens seemed to reflect the city's status. Even in the late hours of the night, people were still awake.

Her eyes reflected the brightness of the city's artificial lights as she gazed downward. Her own brown eyes were dull, almost lifeless. The night lights cast a glow on her visage, showing off her African heritage and revealing a tired-looking expression on her face. The girl was lacking a proper amount of sleep but she was not about to correct that. Her body felt too numb; if she tried to close her eyes she would be unable to fall asleep. Her only solution was to stay awake and aware.

She pressed her cheek against her bare knees, pulling them closer to her body in an attempt to bring some comfort to herself. The action bared little result and she still felt the same dullness. Her body was just without any sensation. She ran her hand through her short, dark brown hair, messing it up but removing it from blocking her vision.

She closed her eyes, her mood suddenly dampening. She could see faint images, lingering in the back of her mind. They were dreary, depressing memories that brought nothing but a sense of sorrow to her. She forced them back, refusing to acknowledge their presence.

"_You...you are no daughter of mine."_

The words stung, like a fresh wound that had been inflicted upon her and she could not forget it. It hadn't been her fault, she hadn't chosen to become what she was yet she had to pay for it. It was like she was some kind of monster. The young adolescent felt her knuckles tighten with rage. Every furious word, every shocked and revolted look came back and her body started to shake with fury.

She abruptly rose to her feet, staring straight ahead with narrowed eyes, fighting back the tears. She couldn't bring herself to look down, her body was frozen on the spot; she was like a statue, stationary and unmoving.

The city suddenly sounded much more distant and her body felt much tighter and constricted. She could feel the blood rushing through her ears, the wind blew past her face and the building she stood on felt so much higher than it truly was.

Fear had overtaken her body. Standing there on the building's edge she felt panicked and alarmed, one wrong movement and she would be falling straight to her death. Yet it was just that simple to escape her nightmare.

All she had to do was take one single step forward, she would feel the air rush past her for just a moment and it would all be over. No more pain, no more tears just eternal serenity.

She stood motionless for the longest time, unable to bring herself to look down. Her eyes were closed and felt utterly terrified. _Do it, _a faint voice spoke from the back of her mind. _Do it and this will all be over._

"I can't," she whispered back to the inner voice, her eyes still firmly closed. _Yes, you can, _it countered, sounding confident and certain that she could perform the act. "I-I can't...I just can't," her own tone was louder but her words wavered, almost as if she was doubtful. _Yes, you can! You can't deal with this anymore,_ I_ can't deal with it anymore! _Every inch of her was refusing, telling her not to listen but she ignored her body, finding the words to be true. She could not take any more anguish. She took a hesitant step forward, the distance between the border and the open air shortening significantly.

She dared herself to peek down and saw everything; the car-filled street, the smoggy air and the unsuspecting people walking, not caring for what was happening above them. She swallowed, feeling a lump form in her throat. Her hands began to feel cold and clammy, sweat was pouring down her next. She couldn't doubt herself now; she could not have any reservations and she forced herself to be brave.

She closed her eyes, taking in a long, difficult breath. It was hard for her to breathe, her body was riddled with fright but she had to be strong. She took another step forward, suddenly becoming apprehensive when her foot found no solid holding. _I can do this, I can do this, I can do this..._

"HEY!"

The girl was unexpectedly brought back to reality, her thoughts pushed far back as she became aware of another person's presence. She quickly scanned the rooftop, finding nothing back darkness surrounding her. Whoever was there was hidden behind the shadows and could not be seen.

"I...Who's there?" the teen called out, squinting at the lack of proper lighting. That was the unfortunate side effect to living in New York, while the streets were paved with light; the rooftops were covered by darkness. It was a fair trade off for some and not for others.

"Nobody important. Now what were you doing?" the unseen voice answered back, echoing out and making it hard for the girl to pinpoint its location. The voice was male and matured, possibly belonging to a teenager, one close to her own age. There was a heavy Brooklyn accent in the voice and it sounded rugged. Whoever this man was, he sounded tough and serious.

"It's none of your business," she yelled back, her voice cracking weakly. She was trying to sound intimidating but the male was doing a better job of it. "Like shell! Do ya take me for an idiot girl?" the male retorted back, sounding angry. She knew better than to enrage a total stranger but she was not about to let her inner morals take over now.

_...'Like shell'? Is this guy serious? _She could only display confusion at his choice of words. It made no sense to her, unless she had heard him wrong. "No, but you shouldn't concern yourself with the private actions of somebody!"

"'_Private actions?' _Sheesh, ya sound like Donny," the male said annoyed. "I can concern myself with whatever ya doing, 'specially since it looked like you were about ta—"

"I said it's none of your business!" the girl screamed at the unseen male, becoming irritated by his words. She didn't know who he was and most certainly did not want him to see what she had been about to do. His personality made her livid. "You don't know me! Go and bother someone else with your _'concern'_," she made air quotations with her hands, trying to provoke the male. "I don't need it."

A sudden silence swept over the root. The male said nothing, making everything still. The teen was uncertain if her words had affected him. The lack of words made her feel both calmer and fearful. She waited for a few minutes, waiting for his response but nothing came. It was possible that he had just left. The girl paused for another moment before decided that he had left.

She turned, readying herself to take that fate-defying step when the thick, husky voice spoke up again. "I may not know ya but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let ya take the fall," his words sounded soft and sincere. The girl did not move, sceptical of his words. "W-What does it matter to you?" she asked, trembling again. Her words were only met with more silence. It was as if the male didn't know how to answer her. She waited and he finally spoke up again, "Why are you throwing away your life?"

The question was strong and hit her hard. She couldn't just form it into a single answer, there were so many reasons. She couldn't just word it into a single sentence as it would take her too long to explain. Besides she didn't own him any explanation. "Because I can? I don't need to tell you!"

She heard a growl come from behind her. The girl was surprised, not knowing if the male was the source of it or not. "Yes, you do! Are ya stupid? What's the point in doing this!" he sounded furious; she could feel like he was restraining himself and trying not to lash out at her.

"Moron," she muttered under her breath, further provoking his anger.

"What did you just say?"

"I called you a moron, moron!" she turned around, glowering at the male. She felt her anger bubbling up, feeling intense hatred for the invisible teen. She couldn't explain why but the male's unexpected concern for her made her feel enraged.

"Why? Why do you care?" she shouted out, no longer caring if anybody heard her. "You don't know me, what the hell I've been through, what do you care!"

"Why don't you!" he yelled back, hollering at her. It seemed they were both caught in a yelling match and one was trying to outdo the other, so far the male was winning. "Are you honestly that daft that ya don't give a shell about how yer family will react? How others who care for ya will feel!"

"No! They are the reason I'm doing this!" she screamed out, shutting her eyes and finding herself panting with sudden relief. It was like a sudden weight was being lifted off of her shoulders. "They made me do this! They didn't care...they made me..."

The rooftop became silent once more; the girl had dropped to her knees at that point, a few tears dripping down her face. The male said nothing and the air became filled with an awkward tension. She wordlessly sniffled and he did not move, still veiled behind the darkness.

It must have been nearly ten minutes before either made any movement. The male spoke first, his words were slow and cautious, "Name's Raphael, you got one I'm presuming?"

"Rachel," she replied back, her voice barely above a whisper. She didn't know why she had just told him her name, it was just an automatic reply.

"Rachel," he said her name, testing out how to say it without sounding rude. "Rachel, I...look..."

"What? What can you say?" Rachel asked him, peering into the darkness with watery eyes. "What can be said to make this better?"

"I...uh, I don't know," Raphael answered honestly, he could only respond with what was true. "Look, just..."

"I'm a lesbian," Rachel said quietly. The words had escaped her lips before she could even filter what she was saying.

"You just need to—what?"

"The reason why I'm doing this, it's because I'm a lesbian," she spoke with a solemn tone. The situation couldn't have been any more serious and yet she was speaking as if it was something causal. "My parents and friends found out and now I'm doing this, attempting suicide."

"I, uh...alright?" Raphael was utterly baffled, not even sure where to begin. What Rachel had said had sent him into a spiral of emotions; confusion, disbelief, sadness, rage but mostly confusion.

Rachel knew he was appalled, her friends had been and most of society was intolerant from what she knew and saw. Raphael was no different, he couldn't even properly respond. "So you see, I'm weird, strange, bizarre and to some, a monster."

"I can't change society's views of my appeal of the same gender but I can at least stop myself from suffering from it," Rachel had stopped crying, speaking out had made her feel calm and tranquil. She was no longer angry or upset.

"Now you wait a second!" Raphael finally spoke out with a coherent sentence. "You are not some kind of freak! Trust me, I know what that feels like and you ain't a freak!"

"How the hell would you know! Are you in love with men?" Rachel glared at the shadows, feeling sickened by his words. Raphael knew nothing about what she felt or how much she was ridiculed and insulted. She_ felt_ insulted just by listening to him.

"No! But I do know what it feels like to be seen as a monster. Trust me, I _know_," Raphael spoke seriously, no anger in his words. Rachel could only continue to glare at the dark, hoping he could see how much she hated him right now.

"You feel angry, upset, like the whole frickin' world's against you, right?" Raphael said like he was insightful. "You must think everyone's against you and there ain't no one who gives a heck about you. They always insult ya. They'd rather hurt you than acknowledge yer a living being! With feelings and all! So what if you like women? Plenty of people are like that!"

Rachel fell silent, only able to stare on with a befuddled expression. His words had almost perfectly described her feelings, if not a bit more downplayed. She could feel like he felt similar to her and it was genuine. "Y-Yes but...I-I...I just wanted it to end," Rachel replied inaudibly, lowering her head in shame. "Why couldn't it just end? I just wanted them to stop!"

It became quiet once more and Raphael felt angry, speaking out loudly at Rachel, "So, what yer were just gonna give up? You were gonna let the words of some idiots get to you?"

Rachel lifted her head up in a blind fury, casting an intense glare into the shadows in front of her. She couldn't see the speaker but she knew he must have seen the fury in her eyes. "_No_, it's not just a few idiotic people! Its best friends who I've known for years! Friends I've called my sisters! People who I've always been able to trust!" Rachel shrieked out in a shrill voice, tightening her fists and digging her nails into her skin.

"And—and..." She suddenly faltered, realization hitting her. Her expression changed from seething anger to disheartening sorrow. "M-My...my own mother...she can't even look me in the eye...without being disgusted. She hates me."

"Shell." Nothing else could be said. Raphael remained silent and Rachel looked down again, closing her eyes. She could hear her mother's words loud and clear. She could see how disappointed she was and how much it pained her to see her daughter that way.

"_What can I do? It's not like I chose to be a lesbian, I just am!"_

"_You're no daughter of mine."_

Rachel bit the corner of her lip, fighting back against the tears and want to scream out loudly. She pounded her fists against the ground, scowling and cursing. "What...What about yer dad? Or siblings, do they think that way?"

Rachel blinked, lifting her head up to face the shadows again. It was like the shadows were Raphael and she was staring at him, not the darkness. "No," she shook her head, "my dad's indifferent and my brother, he...he doesn't care. He still treats me like before."

"Alright, so your mom's a bit conservative. Ignore her than, I'm guessing she does it with you already," Raphael replied calmly.

"It's not that easy!" Rachel yelled at him in disbelief. Her problems with her mother couldn't be so easily solved.

"And why not?" Raphael asked with a scowl (or at least Rachel assumed he was scowling).

"Because! She can't just run away from her problems! She needs to come face to face and deal with them, with me!" Rachel yelled at him, feeling worn out from all of the yelling and screaming. "She needs to stop being a coward and start being my mother!"

"And what about you?" Raphael suddenly asked seriously, stepping forward and allowing Rachel to see a part of him, though she could only see his glowing amber eyes. Rachel blinked, gazing at his eyes and saying nothing. She processed what he had asked and what she had said.

"I...I need to stop running and face this. The fact that I am a lesbian and that it's part of me," Rachel answered slowly and confidently.

"Well, there ya go. I thought I was gonna have ta smack you like Mikey," Raphael spoke with a lighter tone. Maybe it was the lack of sleep getting to her but Rachel could have sworn he was smiling. Rachel closed her eyes, taking a moment to compose herself. It was hard to process everything that had just happened. She had gone through more mood swings than a pregnant woman did and most of them were caused by _him._

She sat on the ground, clearing her mind and thinking everything over. She didn't know who Raphael really was but she was suddenly grateful she had come across him. As she ran through her thoughts, her mind returned back to her father and brother. The sudden awareness of what may have happened to them after she took her own life dawned on Rachel.

"I...I was such an idiot for trying to do this," Rachel spoke with sudden dread as she rose to her feet. "If I...If I had gone through with this, my brother he would have had to...and my father! What was I thinking?"

Rachel buried her face into the palm of her hands, horror running through her. Her brother had been nothing but supportive of her and if she had jumped, he would have suffered like she had. She couldn't place that weight on him, not on her ten year old brother.

"H-Hey, it'll be alright," Raphael spoke out and Rachel sudden felt a hand drop down on her shoulders. She didn't look up, knowing the darkness was where he wanted to be seen. She just reached her hand up, touching his three fingered hand.

"You, uh, probably should talk to somebody or sumthin'," Raphael mumbled, his hand retreating back. "I'm no psychiatrist but I know this ain't something one talk can fix."

"I know," Rachel spoke softly, her back turned to the male. "I need to talk my family...and my mother but you let me see that. I almost made the biggest mistake of my life. Thank you Raphael."

A long silence filled the air; it wasn't an awkward one, just a quiet, peaceful silence. Rachel kept her eyes closed, waiting patiently as the cool night air blew past her arms, bringing warmth to her chilled body.

"It's nothing...Rachel," Raphael finally answered, "...look I've gotta go, I can't stay no more but you...you'll be alright. You...you look like a scrapper, a survivor. It'll be..._you'll _be okay."

The rooftop became silent once more. Rachel could no longer hear any heavy breathing behind her or his footsteps, just like the warming breeze, Raphael was gone. She had endured that long, through all the pain and she knew that she it would be difficult but she would able to survive through it. "Thank you Raphael," Rachel called out behind her in a soft voice despite knowing he was already gone. "I'll survive, I can."

* * *

**A/N: **And that is the end of the first story. I wanted to try writing something serious and I felt Raphael fit this type of situation well. I don't know why, I just ended up using him. I tried to make this seem as realistic as possible but I don't actually know what can happen in these types of situations so I do apologize.

Hopefully I did good and made Raph seem like Raph. If not please let me know. I'll try and get the next story up in a few days, maybe a week depending on how much time I have. Until next time.

-Lyra


	2. A Painted Smile

**Summary:** _"Say what are you supposed to be anyways? Some sort of Japanese...alien...reptile?"  
_**Characters:** _Raphael & Mysterious Character  
_**Genre:** _Comfort/Friendship  
_**Written On: **_July 8__th__, 2012_

**A/N:** Alright we have reached chapter two! Thank you for the wonderful reviews, I appreciate them. Also I fixed the typos from the last chapter. I looked it over and was surprised at how many there were! This is what happens when you try to write a story at 2 in the morning. This took me a few days to do, I was working on another chapter but I got a sudden inspiration to write this and just had to do this. We see more turtles but Raph's the main guy (again). I'm sorry but he just works so perfectly for this chapter!

While reading this, I suggest listening to _Teenager by MONA_. It was what I constantly had set of repeat while I wrote this. Also let's see if you can guess who this chapter's special guest character. Here's a hint, they're from the old cartoon. Good luck guessing!

TMNT © Nickelodeon

* * *

**02: A Painted Smile  
**  
"A smile is a curve that sets everything straight."  
_**— **__Phyllis __Diller_

It was Halloween night. The streets were paved with people dressed in unique and outrageous costumes. Children ran about, pretending to be their favourite superheroes and swinging their bags full of candy. Some were eating their well-earned treats but others were saving them, planning to add it to their stockpile and keep it all-year-round. Parents did their best to keep an eye on their children but in a metropolis jam-packed with costumed youngsters it was not easy. They ran out of sight when they spotted a house with its lights on and a bowl on the porch, overflowing with candy.

Michelangelo was not so different from these children and required his brothers to keep a constant watch on him. If they looked away for even just a second, he would run off into the sea of costumed children and would not be seen until _next _Halloween.

"Ha ha! Look at all of this candy!" Mikey exclaimed as he swung his pillow case which was chock-full of candy. He was walking backwards, facing Donatello and Leonardo while Raphael walked ahead of him. His mouth was watering from all of the chocolate and sweets. "Bros, I am set for life. I will need nothing but pizza, candy, video games, comics and a good TV."

"Oh really Mikey? What about Klunk?" Donatello teased, stepping to the side as a group of small children ran past him. Tonight was one of the few times during the year when they were able to walk freely on the surface.

"Oh man I totally forgot about Klunk!" Mikey gasped, his elbows rising up as he placed his palms against his cheeks dramatically. If there was one thing that Michelangelo was known for, it was his theatrical outbursts. His pillow case flew through the air, smacking Raphael in the face.

"Mikey!" Raphael yelled out, yanking on the pillow casing with a furious expression. Michelangelo felt the pillow covering slip from his grasp and instantly turned around. "Hey! That's mine Raph!"

"Too bad bozo," Raphael spoke with a smirk as he dug his hand into the makeshift treat bag, taking out a handful of the sweet confections. "Ya smack me with yer bag and I get to take some candy. It's compensation."

Raphael pulled the wrapper off one of the candies and plopped it into his mouth. "Raph, don't!" Mikey ran at his brother, waving his hands frantically as he tried to reach for his candy. Raphael kept his hand extended out, pushing on his brother's chest.

He chewed on the candy and then his face scrunched up, like as if he had eaten a sour lemon. Raphael stuck out his tongue with a repulsed expression. "Yuck! Coffee Toffee," he moaned as he wiped his tongue, still holding back his younger brother. "Little too caffeinated fer my tastes but I'm sure you'd like it Donny. Catch boy genius."

"Raph, give it over before I go ninja all over your butt," Mikey threatened, one of his hands reaching for his nunchucks. Raphael pushed back Mikey forcefully, causing the younger turtle to tumble backwards and trip over a fire hydrant. Raph grinned at the little 'accident', throwing some toffee in Donatello's direction.

"Gee, thanks Raph," Donatello commented sarcastically as he caught the tossed candy, mocking a tone that was usually reserved for his elder hot-headed brother. Leonardo simply shook his head, watching an all too familiar scene unfold.

"Raph, was that _really _necessary?" Leo asked scowling as he walked over to Michelangelo, attempting to help him back up. "Eh," Raph shrugged at his brother's question, twirling on his heel and stuffing some more of Mikey's stash into his mouth.

"My candy!" Mikey whined as Raphael ate more of the candy, just to spite the orange prankster.

"Raph, just give it back," Leonardo spoke sounding worn-out. It was starting to get late and the last thing he wanted was to get into another fight with his brother.

"Why should I Fearless? He hit me so I'm just returning the favour," Raphael said in his matter-of-a-fact tone. Leo only frowned more.

"Raph you know Mikey worked hard to gather all of that—"

"So give it back!" Mikey cut in, reaching over Leo's shoulders and trying to grab his candy.

"Mikey quit it!" Leo commanded his little brother before turning his attention back to Raph. "Master Splinter has warned you about doing this kind of stuff and I for one—"

"Master Splinter this, Master Splinter that, why don't you ever just stop being Splinter Jr. and stop expecting us to be like you?" Raphael yelled, waving his hands and tearing the pillow case on a fire hydrant unintentionally.

"Oh here we go," Donny said with a roll of the eyes, eating one of the Coffee Toffees. Mikey let out his signature girly scream as his candy bag was torn. "Why!"

"Raph, I don't expect any of you to be like me! Why would I even want that?" Leonardo shouted incredulously.

"Because you're 'perfect' and if we're anything less than that, we gotta hear it from you AND Master Splinter," Raphael growled, tossing the frayed pillow case aside. Donatello and Michelangelo just watched silently as the two older brothers yelled at one another, causing a few bystanders to look on.

"I never said I was perfect!"

"Oh, of course not! Cause our Fearless Leader isn't supposed to say that he is perfect, he's supposed to be humble and modest!" The fight was escalating, rapidly. Donatello was beginning to worry the fighting was going to lead up to violence. Even Mikey was starting to fret which usually meant something bad was going to happen.

"Raph! I don't want to hear it!" Leo ordered his younger brother, glaring heavily at him, "it's late, you ruined our night and now we've got to go back and get Mikey more candy since you just threw it all away! Just stop it, we're done!"

Raphael stood there, rage fuming inside of him. He wanted to yell, scream, do something. But as he gazed around he noticed that a small crowd was surrounding them. Mikey and Don both looked anxious, unsure of what to do. Leo looked frustrated and cross with him. He didn't need to be caught up this. He needed to get away, he needed to go somewhere and just think.

Raphael rammed his shoulder into Leonardo's and moved past him, running down the street and away from them. Leo looked up, watching his brother disappear into the shadows. He rose to his feet, making his way past Don and Mikey, trying to catch up to him. "Raph!"

Donatello reached out, grabbing his brother before he could go any further. Mikey was just behind him, staring at them with alarm. "Just let him go Leo," Don said as he held his elder brother back. "He just needs some space, let's give it to him."

* * *

Raphael strolled down the sidewalk, head facing down and eyes narrowed. He had been walking for a while now, taking in the cool October night air. He felt calmer and not so angry but he was still a little pissed. As he walked he had to evade wave after wave of candy-crazed kids. Most would march around him but the majority would just run straight into him. He generally didn't like children and having to maneuver through a vast amount of them was making his bitter mood worsen.

"Stupid Leo," he mumbled under his breath, glowering at the air. "Stupid Mike for hitting me with his stupid bag of stupid candy and all of those stupid kids. Stupid."

"Wow, that's a _lot_ of stupid," a female voice spoke out from behind Raphael, faintly sounding impressed. He stopped mid-step, turning his head to see who was speaking cynically to him. The sidewalk was empty save for a few retreating families who were returning to their homes.

"Over here big guy," a girl called out, waving her hand to grab his attention. Raphael spotted the girl sitting on the steps of a townhouse two blocks down. He stood there, contemplating whether he should ignore her and walk away or say something, acknowledging her presence. He wasn't able to make much of a decision as the girl got onto her feet and sauntered her way towards him.

As she walked over, Raphael eyed her, more specifically the costume she was wearing. She was dressed in some sort of odd lizard suit. It was a light shade of green and had a bright yellow patch in the center, indicating it was some sort of stomach area. A long tail was moving as she moseyed over, its colours matching the green and yellow design. Her hands were covered by a pair of webbed gloves though Raphael could have easily mistaken them for real webbed fingers. Her feet were covered by some brown leather boots and she had a pink scarf tied around her neck.

The strangest part of her costume was not the fact that she had painted her face to match (and it was eerily realistic too) but that she didn't have her hair covered. It was long and a light shade of brown, her bangs just hung loosely and the rest was pulled up into a high ponytail held together by some kind pink headband. Raph could only raise a brow ridge at the ridiculousness of the costume.

"Wow, you made a girl have to walk all the way over to you. You must be quite the charmer," the girl spoke with a fake, flirtatious tone. Raphael leaned back, feeling a bit on edge. He didn't know who she was and felt some 'weird lady vibes' coming off her, as Mikey would say. He remained silent, wearing an irritated expression.

"Oh, so you're the tall, dark and silent type huh? I can work with that," the girl said playfully. Raphael scowled, already annoyed by her. The girl looked up at his eyes, watching his face with interest. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Raphael felt himself become flustered, looking away from her.

"Aw, shy already Red?" she asked with a girlish giggle. "Don't worry, I can fix that."

"S-Stop treatin' me like I'm sum kind of dessert!" Raphael finally yelled out, the words stumbling out of his mouth, making him feel like a bumbling idiot. "I'm not in the mood for it!"

"So he speaks, I was wondering how long it would take you to speak up," the girl's voice suddenly went higher in pitch, the low, seductive tone completely forgotten. She smiled at him, holding back a laugh from his reddened face. "So, do you have a name Mister Broody?"

"What's it to ya?" Raphael said angrily, heavily glaring at the girl. The girl's expression didn't change, she just kept smiling at him.

"I'm Mona. Mona Lisa," she said as she held her hand out for Raphael to shake. He hesitated for a moment before grumbling and finally taking her hand and shaking it. "Mm' Raphael."

"There, now was that so hard?" Mona said as she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning to her left side. "Now why did you feel such a need to express such an excessive amount of the word stupidity?"

"Huh?" Raphael titled his head, the words passing through him and anger starting to bubble again. "Are you calling me stupid, cause if ya are—" Mona sighed, holding her hand up and shaking her head. "No, I was just asking why you were saying stupid so much."

"Oh, uh, right," Raphael spoke slightly embarrassed. He suddenly felt like he had pulled a move that bonehead Casey Jones was infamous for; overreacting and not understanding. He gazed off to the side, not saying anything again.

"Well?" Mona asked sounding a bit impatient. "Are you going to tell me Raphael or am I going to have to start flirting with you again?" Her voice dropped back down to that seductive tone, adding emphasis to her words. "Hm?"

Raphael spun around, meeting her eyes with a fuming anger. "No, don't you even think about it," he warned her with a serious look. Mona could only laugh at his reaction, making the threat seem comical. "I'm being serious," he said sternly, scowling at Mona again. It was like the girl was just enjoyed pushing his buttons.

"Oh, I know," Mona said with flippant regard. Raphael gave her an angry stare, not too pleased with her. Mona straightened up, noticing Raphael's glare. She sighed, her face taking a more gentle appearance. "Hey, look I'm just trying to see why you're so upset," she spoke as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

Raphael slapped her hand off, not wanting Mona's sympathy. "I don't want any of yer pity," he harshly stated. Mona frowned at his action, letting her face harden. "I'm not trying to feel sorry for you, I just wanted to show you some kindness. I thought you would like some."

Mona became quiet as she allowed Raphael to process her words. The angry turtle scowled heavily, taking in a deep breath and dropping his shoulders in defeat. "...Fine."

* * *

Mona listened attentively to Raphael as he explained his current situation. An argument had erupted between brothers and as always Raphael was the one who ran away. Mona didn't interrupt him or make a face as he gave the details. She just kept a calm, composed look and listened, something Raphael sorely needed.

"So, after all that you just ran off?" Mona asked as she rested her hands against her knees. While telling his story, the pair had returned to the front of Mona's house and she had sat on the bottom of the steps. Raphael was standing and leaning back against the railing, staring up at the night sky. "Yeah, whenever we get into these fights I always just run off. Gotta clear my head, you know?"

"Yeah, I see where you're coming from," Mona spoke softly, closing her eyes. "You don't want to get any angrier, so you leave to get some air."

"Sumthin' like that." Raph pressed a hand to his forehead, taking in the tranquillity of the night. Mona hummed quietly, opening her eyes and glimpsing at Raphael with curiosity. "Say what are you supposed to be anyways? Some sort of Japanese...alien...reptile?" Mona inquired as she squinted her eyes at the (supposedly) green-costumed male. He narrowed his eyes in response.

"Yeah, cause there ain't a giant turtle shell on my back right now," Raphael said cynically, turning around and pointing to the large round shielding attached to his body, all the while scowling. "I'm a turtle ya wingnut."

"I can clearly see that, thank you," Mona retorted, matching his scowl with her own. He definitely had some attitude, Mona could see that. "You definitely have an juvenile outlook on things."

"Yeah? And what's that supposed to mean wise guy?"

"That's wise girl and what I mean is that your personality shows off your age," Mona replied with a relaxed smile. "How old are you anyways? I mean you aren't that tall—"

"Oh gee thanks, so what I'm a shrimp now too?" Raphael interrupted looking somewhat insulted.

"—No, I was going to say your attitude says otherwise," Mona countered back. "You've got to be at least sixteen, maybe seventeen."

"Yeah, sweet ole' sixteen. Not the best of birthdays," Raphael mumbled. "What about you? You don't look too much older than me. You gotta be still be in high school. You ain't that tall either."

"Ouch," Mona mocked. "That hurt but sadly you're wrong. I'm a college student, first year."

"Seriously?" Raphael asked in disbelief. He hadn't that Mona was that much older than he was but as it would appear, she was. "Yep, legal age to vote. Not that I've ever cared much for politics, science is more my thing."

"Heh, you sound like my brother Don," Raph chuckled.

"Well I'd hope so! He's the only smart one from what I can see."

"Hey, not that I don't appreciate you listening to me and stuff but...why are ya out here by yerself Mona?" Raphael questioned as he watched Mona flinch. Her expression changed from cheerful one to a more miserable one.

"You can blame my idiot boyfriend Filch for that one," she replied solemnly, her usual cheeriness all but gone. "We were supposed to go to a party together but he stood me up. Again."

"Ah," was all he said before stepping over and sitting beside her. "So why are you even with him if all he does is avoid ya?"

"Because, he used to be a gentleman once upon a time," Mona replied wistfully. "He used to be a lot nicer when we were in high school, caring too. But the past few years he just started to be more arrogant and distant. Nothing like the sweet guy I once knew."

"Huh, sounds like two different people to me," Raphael said staring at Mona. She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. I just don't know anymore."

"Hey, listen, I suck at all this sappy stuff but," Raph paused, uncertain of what to say, "if ya ask me, I think you deserve better."

"Oh? Do you?" Mona asked, attempting to tease the turtle but not sounding into it. She huffed, crossing her arms over her knees.

"Yeah you do. So dump 'im and find someone better, someone who's not a loser and will care," Raphael concluded. He may not have been good at comforting people like his father or brothers but he had his own way of caring. He knew when to say the right thing and had said it.

"You know, that sounds...that sounds right. I've been wanting to but I've never been sure if I should," Mona said with frown. "I guess I just needed to hear someone else say it to be sure. Thanks."

The air felt less tense but Mona still seemed upset. Seeing this, Raphael draped one arm over Mona's shoulders, pulling her in for an awkward hug. Mona lightly laughed, shoving Raphael back. "You know, you're quite charming, aside from your anger issues," Mona spoke with an earnest smile. Raphael beamed a smile back at her, one not as large but just as jovial. "Ah, there's da good ol' Mona Lisa smile."

"Hehe, thanks," Mona spoke, leaning forward and giving Raphael a small peck on the cheek. The red-banded turtle froze on the spot, his cheeks tinting red. Mona tilted back, flashing a heartfelt smile. Raphael blinked, placing a hand on his cheek and grumbled something too low for Mona to hear.

"Hey, how would you like to crash a sorority party with an older woman?" Mona asked with a small laugh, staring out at the open street filled with trick-or-treaters. A small amount of children were still combing the streets in search of sweet, delicious candy despite how late it was becoming.

Raphael, once recovered from the little kiss of gratitude, guffawed at the very thought of attending. He was not a party dude like Michelangelo and he doubted he would ever become one. "Sorry, I ain't no Mikey. I'd be the death of the party, not the life of it."

"Too bad, I would have liked for you to come," Mona responded truthfully. Raphael became quieter, taking note of dark outside it was becoming. He would have to return soon otherwise his brothers might come out and start looking for him. That would mean his shell cell ringing constantly and his family being in constant worry over him.

Raphael pressed his hands against his knees, pushing off with a grunt and standing upright. Mona observed him unspeaking, just watching. He had his back facing her and she knew what that meant. "Heading home?" she enquired sounding displeased.

"Yeah," Raphael replied back quietly. Neither one said much else, Raphael just stood there and Mona hugged her knees to her body to keep warm. Mona finally spoke up after the long silence, sounding disheartened but glad, "Well, it was nice meeting you Raphael. You gave me some surprisingly astute advice, so let me give you some. Don't get so upset with your brother, he means well and while he might try to get under your shell he only wants what's best for you, they all do. Alright? Just listen."

Raphael nodded his head slowly at Mona, taking her words to heart. "Yeah I know. I promise I'll try ta listen more. It was nice meeting you too Mona. I'll, uh, see you around?"

"Yeah," Mona spoke with a grand smile. "We'll meet again. Mona Lisa can't smile without her painter."

"Hey, isn't that supposed to be Leonardo?" Raphael said with a small smirk.

"Yeah, but I like Raphael's painting so much more."

* * *

**A/N: **And thus we reach the end of the second chapter. So, as you can see this chapter's special guest was Mona Lisa. I never watched the 1987 cartoon (I wasn't even born when it gave!) but I did happen to watch one episode of it and it just so happened to be the one that had Mona Lisa in it. I always thought the chemistry between her and Raph was cute, so after listening to _Teenager by MONA _I felt inspired to write this.

I'm working on chapter three as we speak and it will be a good one. Next time: _Michelangelo meets with a young Turtle Titan fan, but can he help him with learning to let go? Stay tuned for Chapter 3: Learning to Fly_


	3. Changing

**Summary:** _"Letting go, that's the easy part. It's forgiving that's the hard one."__  
_**Characters:** _Michelangelo & Tyler__  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Friendship__  
_**Written On: **_July 13th, 2012_

**A/N:** Hello everyone, this chapter was a bit harder for me to do as I struggled with trying to figure out to portray Mikey. He seems to be harder for me to characterize but I think I got a good idea of Mikey's personality.

Featured in this chapter is Tyler, he is a character from Season 1, Episode 24, "Lone Raph and Cub." That was one of my favourite episodes from the first season. I must have re-watched that episode at least a dozen times before I finally got his personality down. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

TMNT © Nickelodeon

* * *

**03: Changing**

"Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."  
**_— _**_Marilyn Monroe_

The rain fell continuously outside the window, small droplets constantly pounding against the glass. Tyler stared out the water stained pane, pouting at the seemingly endless downpour. The morning forecast had called for heavy rainfall for the whole week. He was trapped inside his apartment, unable to go outside and play. He disliked the rain; all it ever brought was disaster. It had rained when his parents fought and it had rained when they announced their divorce. He frowned at the wet weather and flicked his finger at the window, hoping it would make the rain disappear. It did not.

"Tyler," he heard his babysitter call out from outside the bedroom. Tyler did not turn around, not bothering to acknowledge her presence. He continued to sulk at the terrible weather conditions. "Where are you?" she yelled out, sounding worried. Tyler listened as her footsteps passed by the door and moved further down the hallway. "Tyler, please just come out!"

The young boy glared at window, seeing his face being reflected back in the glass. His face expressed anger but his eyes were full of sadness. He tilted his head, averting his gaze from the mirror image. He didn't understand why the sky had chosen to rain today, of all days. It was as if the clouds were sending him an omen that only misery laid in his future. "Tyler, come out! You are gonna miss your new baby brother's birth!" his sitter said desperately. "I don't know why you would want to miss that!"

Tyler's mouth formed a firm and permanent scowl at the mention of his new brother. It wasn't mandatory for him to be present at the hospital. The whole reason his babysitter was here was because his mother wanted someone to watch him while the baby was being born. He had told his mother he wasn't going and he was keeping true to his word.

Shadows were cast into the darkened room as his babysitter stood behind the door. It would appear that she had finally found him. "Tyler? Tyler, I'm coming in," she spoke softly, pushing the door open. Light from the hall poured into the master bedroom, forcing the darkness to flee. The brightness of the lights illuminated the bedroom and Tyler. He leaned against the window frame, ignoring the lost shadows and his babysitter.

Outside the window, the storm was worsening. The grey clouds churned in the sky above, becoming restless. Lightning flashed across the sky, blinding any who were unfortunate enough to be walking through this squall. Tyler gasped, shuffling back from the window. The lights in the hallway started to flicker, there was another flash outside and the lights died out.

The room grew darker, as did the rest of the city. Tyler stood still as his babysitter ran beside him, dropping down to her knees and examining him. "Are you alright?" she asked as she ruffled his hair. Tyler swatted her hand away, making the sitter frown. She rose to her feet, glancing out the same window that Tyler had been. The entire street was covered in darkness, the only source of light coming from the storm.

"Tyler, I'm going to go check to see if they can get the power back on. Stay here," the older female commanded, turning on her heel and disappearing out of sight. Tyler watched her fleeting figure and then returned to his place on the windowsill. He disliked thunderstorms and the rain, to him there was no difference and they were equally depressing. "Dumb storm," Tyler mumbled under his breath, impatiently observing the powerless metropolis.

The storm wasn't letting up and as the thunder rumbled in the background a darkened figure appeared on the building across the street. Curious, the young boy pressed his hands on the glass to get a better view of the mysterious person. He saw the body moving, reaching around and pulling out some kind of rope. It swung the rope with one arm, tossing it across the street and latching it onto the top of Tyler's building. He stood upright as the shaded shape ran off the edge of the building, swinging on the rope like Tarzan.

Lightning crashed down and Tyler heard an odd, girlish scream. For a brief second he could see the being illuminated. The person was green-skinned and had a giant shell on their back. Tyler's eyes widened in surprise, making him press his face on the glass in excitement. _Raphael! _He thought with a grin. _It must be Raphael!_ The green turtle man veered left, his course changing drastically. He was no longer flying down the street, but rather coming straight towards Tyler.

Tyler screamed running back from the window and diving under his mother's bed. He covered his head as the high-pitched wails grew closer. The window suddenly shattered as the green terrapin crashed through the sheet of glass. Tyler heard the body tumble, breaking more glass and then it stopped. Tyler opened his eyes, peeking through his hands. The turtle had rolled into the side his mother's antique dresser. A few glass figurines were lying on the ground, crushed and beyond repair. Tyler knew how important those collectibles were to his mother, they had been a gift from her grandmother and she adored them.

"Raphael!" Tyler yelled loudly at the turtle with surprise, climbing out from under the bed frame. "Are you alright?" Tyler carefully manoeuvred around the broken glass pieces, stopping beside the upside down turtle. "Owwww," the turtle moaned painfully, in a voice that was unfamiliar to Tyler. "Raphael?" he asked, cautiously bending over as he further examined the turtle.

His skin wasn't the same shade as Raphael's; it was brighter and more jade in colour. Raphael's skin was a darker, forest green. Tyler knew this turtle was not the loudmouthed, short-tempered one that he knew and that made him uneasy. He moved backwards, placing himself beside the bed. The turtle blinked, gradually opening his eyes and finding himself in a dark, alien place. The floor was on the ceiling and the ceiling was on the floor. His head also ached and he kept hearing his hot headed brother's name being called out.

"Raph? I'm not Raph," he muttered rubbing a hand over his eyes. He blinked again, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. He lifted his head up, cranking his neck around to get a better view of his surroundings. It would appear that he was in an apartment bedroom, his body lying the wrong way up. The turtle carelessly pushed his feet off the dresser and flipped over, landing on his stomach and facing the dresser. "Ow ow! Okay that hurt more," the turtle whined, realizing the foolishness of his action. "But maaaaan, what hit me?"

"A glass window and a dresser," Tyler stated bluntly, standing above the reckless turtle. "You crashed into the window and broke all of my mom's glass dolls." The turtle stared up at Tyler with momentary shock and then gave off a sheepish grin. "It was an accident?"

"Not for my mom's stuff," Tyler said sourly assisting the turtle onto his feet. The turtle stroked the back of his neck nervously, inspecting how much damage he had caused. Shards of glass and porcelain covered the floor. The room looked like a hurricane had swept through it and given the weather outside it looked like that was about to happen. With all of the broken glass pieces, it was hazardous to even move a toe.

"Aww maaaan. Master Splinter is gonna make me do a hundred flips when he finds out I did this!" the turtle whimpered, rubbing his arms. Tyler looked at the turtle, now able to see his entire body. The turtle resembled Raphael in some ways, but appeared shorter and seemed to favor a bright orange to Raph's deep red. He was also dressed in some weird green and orange costume that had an oversized 'T' on his chest in orange. Tyler rose an eyebrow at the attire, not certain what to make of it. "Are you supposed to be a superhero or something?" he asked with confusion. The turtle was stunned by the boy's words.

"I'm the Turtle Titan!" he yelled out in disbelief. "I'm a member of the Justice Force!" Tyler just blinked, the name seeming unimportant. "Doesn't ring a bell," he replied with a shrug. The turtle's face went from shock to horror and he paced about in a frenzy. "How can you _not_ know the Turtle Titan? I've saved this city hundreds, no, _millions_ of times!"

"The only 'Turtle Titan' I've ever seen was Raphael, say do you know him?" Tyler had noted how similar the pair appeared and thought that they must have been related. "You look a lot like him."

"Oh yeah, I _know_ him," the titan halted, saying his words in annoyance. "I have the head bumps to prove it!"

"Huh, Raph did mention he smacked his brother a lot. Are you him?" Tyler asked looking up at the turtle. He frowned at the thought of his brother smacking but he nodded his head at Tyler, answering his question, "Yeah, I'm Mikey—Michelangelo. You met Raph? When did that happen?"

"He saved me and my mom from some thugs last year!" Tyler exclaimed with admiration. He spun around, rummaging through one of the dresser drawers, looking from something. He pulled out a tape recorder and held it up for Michelangelo to see. "My mom's a reporter and she recorded some bad stuff those mobsters said and was going to use it to send'em to jail but she got kidnapped! I met Raph and he saved her! He's a hero."

Mikey stared the tape recorder strangely, poking one of the buttons on the box. Nothing happened. Tyler returned the recorder back to its rightful place, facing Mikey once more. "Did Raph ever mention me?" he asked with a hopeful look. It was no secret that Tyler saw the angry turtle as something of a role model. He was brave, strong and didn't take any back sass from anyone. He had saved his mother from danger and didn't walk away from Tyler even when things looked tough. He had been hoping that he would be able to meet with Raphael again.

Michelangelo paused, thinking over previous conversations that he had with his older brother. A light bulb flashed inside his tiny mind when he came across a certain discussion that had mentioned a young kid. "Yeah, he did. You were the kid he ran into when our father was missing," he said more quietly. "Uh, sorry about this whole mess…I'll pay you back for it but I should probably be going."

Mikey began to walk towards the window, intending to head home. Lightning flashed just outside the broken window, startling the pair. Tyler had his eyes shut, shaking at the sudden blinding light. Mikey had yelped, knocking over a nearby vase in surprise. Tyler stood there watching Mikey move, interpreting his clumsy footsteps as him leaving and yelled at him, "Wait! Don't go!" The orange turtle rotated his head, hitting the wall when he felt something crash into his side. "Oof! Little dude!"

"Sorry," Tyler mumbled the apology, stepping back from the turtle. Mikey rubbed his now sore cheek, glancing down at Tyler with irritation. "Not cool, owww," Mikey grumbled tenderly massaging his cheek. "I'm not a cuddly teddy bear! I'm a turtle! What's with the sudden cling-to-Mikey act anyways little dude?"

"I'm not little! I'm eight and my name is Tyler!" Tyler yelled out at Mikey, crossing his arms and scowling. He disliked it when people referred to him as small or a child. He had a name that he would have liked to be used. Mikey rose a brow at the boy's reaction, sighing. "Sorry, _Tyler_," Michelangelo said placing emphasis on Tyler's name. "I still kind of need an answer dude."

"I don't want to be alone in this storm," Tyler whispered, too low for Mikey to hear. The turtle eyed the kid, unable to understand him. "What?"

"I don't want to be alone in the storm, I'm scared," Tyler repeated a bit louder. Mikey had to strain to hear him, but was able to make out most of the words. He glanced at the window, noticing how heavily it was raining. If he left now he would just get soaked and despite being an aquatic creature, he still got just as sick as humans did when exposed to the rain. "Alright little dude, you win for now," Mikey said as he walked over and sat on the bed. Tyler joined Mikey on the bed, sitting just beside him.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air. Mikey coughed, only adding to the awkwardness. He didn't know what to say to the child and Tyler didn't know what to say back. "So, uh, interesting weather we're having, huh?" Mikey asked, attempting to make conversation. Tyler glanced out the broken window, watching the water fall. "I hate the rain," he said with thorough hatred.

"Of course you do," Mikey muttered under his breath. Time for a different approach. "So, Tyler what's new?"

"Mom's having a baby. I'm gonna have a little brother I think," Tyler said uninterested. Mikey blinked at the boy, suddenly smiling. "Congrats dude! You must be pretty stoked but…what are you doing here instead of being at the hospital?"

"I didn't want to go," Tyler said plainly, swinging his legs off the edge of the bed. "Didn't want to go! Little dude this is your baby brother's birth! How can you _not _want to be there? I so would!" Mikey said staring at the boy like he was some kind of alien monster. "Just didn't," Tyler replied back.

"Nuh _uh_, there's more to it than that. _Spill_," Mikey commanded scooting closer to Tyler. He turned his head, glaring at Mikey. The turtle was determined to get an answer out of the boy, regardless of whether he wanted to tell or not. "He's not even my brother," Tyler said shifting his eyes back to his feet. Mikey scratched the top of his head. "What do you mean? Is he adopted or something?"

"No, we just don't share the same dads. He's my half-brother, or whatever," Tyler answered with a shrug. Mikey sat quietly, able to see the problem starting to form right in front of him. "So, your mom's remarried then I'm guessing?" he asked cautiously.

"No, not yet," Tyler replied back. "She and Doug were supposed to get married in the fall or something, but she got pregnant."

"Okay, so then does that mean you're parents are divorced?" Mikey enquired while watching Tyler's face. He seemed to be conflicted, his face was full of annoyance but his eyes said otherwise. They looked almost upset. "Yeah, though it's too early for mom to be getting married. She and dad only split three years ago! She can't be having a baby either."

"Ah ha, now I see the problem," Mikey spoke with a snap of his fingers. Tyler didn't look up, too caught up in his thoughts. For an eight year old, he had encountered numerous problems in his life so far. He couldn't just ignore them either and somehow he was always thinking about them. It was the weather, rain always made him bitterer.

"Your parents are divorced but you don't want them to be, right?" Mikey asked, catching Tyler by surprise. The boy hadn't thought the turtle would figure it out so easily. He stared wide-eyed for a moment before turning away. "Maybe," he murmured dangling his legs.

"So, because of that you don't want a little brother," Michelangelo said glancing at the damaged room, spotting a picture frame on the nearby night table. It was a picture of Tyler and two adults, one woman with dark, short hair and a man with a balding head. Tyler looked much younger in the image; it must have been taken from before the divorce Mikey assumed. Mikey's words seemed to verbalize Tyler's inner thoughts, just in a more simplistic manner.

"He's still your brother little dude, even if you don't want him. There are days when I don't want to be related to _my_ brothers, but once you meet him you'll love him," Mikey said with a smile, expecting Tyler to smile back. The boy kept quiet.

"He's not my brother," Tyler said stubbornly, refusing to call the unborn infant his sibling. Mikey frowned at Tyler's attitude, finding him to be _too _much like his red-banded brother. Mikey grabbed the picture frame of the end table, holding it up to Tyler's face. "This," Mikey said pointing to the picture, "was your family Tyler, but now it's gonna be bigger. It's gonna change, it'll be more fun."

"I don't want it to change!" Tyler shouted, smacking the picture frame away. It fell from Mikey's grip and smashed against the ground, shattering. Tyler's hands balled into two, tight fists. "I don't want a new dad, I don't want a new brother, I don't want anything new! I want it to be the _same_!"

Mikey winced at high tone Tyler's voice had taken. The boy was set on not accepting change and rejected it. He sighed, the room becoming tense. Mikey didn't know how to respond to Tyler's out lash. He never had to encounter a problem like that before. He decided the best thing to do was just keep quiet. He paused, waiting for Tyler to calm down.

Tyler kicked the broken frame with his foot, not caring for it. He felt an odd anger stirring inside of his body. It made his chest tighten and burn. He didn't like that that sensation, it was wrong. Tyler walked over to the bed and sat on it, staring down at his feet. Mikey watched the boy, not liking the heaviness in the air. It was time for some comedy.

"Uh, hey. My master is really old and has a lot of really old and wise sayings. Actually there's one that he taught me that I think you might understand." Mikey coughed, clearing his throat. He closed his eyes and hunched over, copying his rat father's pose. He opened his mouth and spoke out in a poor imitation of his master's voice, "_Young birds will always want to stay in their nest because they are too afraid to fly. But as long as they look ahead they will never have to fear what's left behind_."

Tyler blinked, staring at Mikey with a blank expression. He didn't know whether to laugh at him or cringe. His performance was rather bland and unexciting, with no humor in it. "What's _that_ to suppose to mean?" he asked, not comprehending the phrase. Mikey stood up straight, making a face at Tyler.

"What it _means_ little dude, is that you can't keep dwelling over bad stuff," Mikey explained in his usual lighthearted method. "You need to accept what happened to your parents and just move on."

"But what if I don't want to accept it? What if I just want things to be the same?" Tyler asked, giving Mikey an even stare. The turtle looked down on the boy matching his intent look. Neither seemed willing to stand down. Raphael wasn't the only stubborn turtle of the family. Mikey was known for not having the best of attention span, however when he did focus on something, he never gave up on it.

He narrowed his eyes slightly at Tyler. "I know little dude but if you don't, you'll just end up being afraid of change and that's not cool. You need change. It's like, part of the circle of life!" Mikey waved his arms about, trying to show childish Tyler was acting. Tyler's scowl only grew widener at his words. "What do you know? Your parents didn't divorce!"

"Er, well, yeah. That's true but…" Mikey said embarrassed.

"Exactly!" Tyler called out, pointing a finger at Mikey's face. "You don't know what it's like! This isn't the _Lion King_, there's no circle of life and I'm not some animal like you." Mikey flinched at Tyler's insult, feeling offended by the small child. "Ouch, harsh words little dude."

Tyler's eyes widened, allowing him to recognize how rude he was acting. He lowered his arm, staring at his feet humiliated. "Ehm, sorry."

"It's all good, but seriously Tyler you can't keep being upset about your parents' divorce," Mikey spoke with a serious tone in his voice. "And why not? Everything was fine until they split up!" Tyler countered back. "It was better before, why would I want that to change?"

Mikey became silent, unable to answer Tyler. He knew he hadn't experienced what Tyler had gone through but he still wanted to help. He rested his chin on his hand, thinking of a way to aid Tyler. Nothing that Mikey thought of was useful though, most of his ideas would only make things worse.

"Look, being upset doesn't change anything," Mikey spoke exasperated. "If you keep being angry, all it'll do is make you angrier. You'll be worse than Raph!"

"Worse?" Tyler asked, puzzled by the words. Mikey nodded his head at the boy. "Yes, worse. Raph's not broody because he likes to be, it's because he always keeps thing bottled up inside. He doesn't like telling us his problems and it makes him angry. You're doing the same thing but you're gonna end up worse." Mikey took in a breath, continuing. "He does eventually get over stuff, but only cause he let's go. He doesn't always dwell on stuff, but when he does it takes a lot for him to let go."

"What's the point to all of this?" Tyler interrupted, bored of the conversation.

"I was getting to it! Let a turtle finish," Mikey said pouting at Tyler. "My point is that Raph _does_ get over stuff and he _accepts_ it. Even if he doesn't like it, he'll still accept it. You're not doing that little dude and you should."

"But I don't want to!" Tyler yelled once more, making Mikey jump. The turtle covered the sides of his head, mimicking the motion humans did when they heard loud noises, or yelling. Mikey knew the conventional method was not working on Tyler. It was time for him to the guilt the boy into seeing the truth. "Okay, I know how you feel, but how does your mom feel little dude?"

Tyler opened his mouth, about to comment but stopped. He hadn't really thought about how his mom felt, he just cared for his own feelings. "She, uh, she's happy I guess," Tyler said with uncertainty. "But she's upset that I don't want a new brother. I think it's making her sad."

Mikey looked at Tyler curiously. "Are you sure little dude?" Tyler nodded, his head bobbing. "Yeah, me being mad is making her upset. I don't want to hurt her. I just don't like how everything's changing."

"Nobody likes change, but it can be a good thing," Mikey said grinning. "I mean, if we all stayed the same how boring would that be? I would not be the same amazing, handsome turtle I am today!"

Tyler laughed a little, agreeing with the orange turtle. "Yeah, I would still be really short!"

"And you wouldn't have met Raph either," Mikey added. Tyler looked at Mikey with surprise, thinking more clearly. If his mother hadn't decided to be daring, she wouldn't have been taken. Tyler wouldn't have escaped and ran into Raphael. Things changed, sometimes for the bad but also for the good, that was what Mikey was trying to tell him.

"I guess that change isn't such a bad thing. I still don't like it though," Tyler declared, crossing his arms. Mikey smiled at the boy, messing up his hair. "You don't have to like it little dude, you just need to accept it. If you can, it'll be easier."

"Yeah, I guess," Tyler said smiling a little. He waved his hand, trying to get Mikey to stop ruffling his head. "Plus, now you can teach your little brother what I just told you," Mikey spoke looking down at Tyler happily. The boy sat still, slowly answering, "If I want to be a good big brother, I have to teach him stuff, don't I?"

"Yeah, you do little dude. You gotta look out for him," Mikey spoke, thinking about his own brothers. "Family is all you have at the end of the day. Me and my brothers are close, even if they try to harm me daily. We'll always take care of each other—"

"—because that's what brothers do," Tyler finished. Mikey nodded his head at Tyler, poking him on the forehead. "Right on the dot little dude."

"Well, maybe having a little brother won't be _so _bad," Tyler said with a faint smile. Perhaps a new little brother would be a good thing. He was still upset by another problem. "But I still don't want a new dad, I'm still mad at my own."

"Hey, it's alright to be mad for a little while, but don't get like Raph and be mad forever!" Mikey said resting a hand on Tyler's shoulder. Tyler stared at him, his mind still in discord. One side of him was agreed with the turtle's logic but another side completely dismissed it. He couldn't decide. "Mikey, what am I supposed to do? Let go?"

"Ah, well little dude," Mikey said as he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Letting go, that's the easy part. It's forgiving that's the hard one."

"But how can I forgive my dad when I'm still angry at him?" Tyler questioned further, not satisfied with the turtle's answer. "You don't have to forgive, not right away. Give it some time and you'll be able to bury the hatchet."

"Bury the hatchet?" Tyler was once again confused by the turtle's words. Mikey smacked his forehead, amazed at the child's lack of common knowledge. "Kiss and make up. Settle your differences. Forgive him! Sheesh," Mikey said annoyed. "And don't be mad at your new dad, whenever your mom marries him. He hasn't done anything to you."

"Yeah, Doug is kind of nice to me. But I'm still not sure," Tyler spoke softly. Mikey smiled at the boy, getting up to his feet with sudden enthusiasm. "Like I said, give it some time and things will work out. Now how about we stop acting all gloomy and start having some fun!"

The two new friends spent the next twenty minutes talking and playing. They were just having fun, something Tyler sorely needed. They talked about anything, ranging from favourite superheroes to how to look after a cat. Tyler thought over Mikey's words, taking them to heart. He was right, as weird as things had been, he was right. Tyler had to accept what happened and let go, otherwise he would only get angrier and angrier. He didn't want that to happen and would work hard to make sure it didn't. Besides having a new brother meant he had somebody to boss around, like Raphael did with Mikey.

The lights suddenly flashed back on, somehow the power had been restored. Tyler stared up at the ceiling, as did Mikey. The rained had let up, no longer spilling into the room and soaking the floor. Tyler and Mikey had attempted to clean up the room but only ended up tapping towels over the broken glass.

Mikey frowned when the power came back and got up on his feet. "And that's my cue to go little dude," he said sadly. "The Turtle Titan has done his job for the night but now must disappear."

"Do you have to go?" Tyler asked, looking at Mikey with his infamous puppy eyes. Mikey closed his eyes, shielding his face from the cuteness. "Puppy dog eyes are my weakness! I can't look at them! I can't take the cuteness!" Mikey ran towards the window, slowly peeling back the tapped curtains and climbing through. He turned back to face Tyler with a smile. "I need to go little dude, but I'll come back and maybe visit you someday."

"Yeah, but trying using the front door first," Tyler said laughing. Mikey just scowled at the boy before jumping out the window, swinging on the rope he had left outside. "The Turtle Titan goes away!" Tyler waved at Mikey, watching him fly through the street and land on the roof. Tyler stood there, waiting until he heard a door open, indicating that his babysitter was back.

"Tyler, I'm back and—what happened!" the sitter cried out upon seeing the disaster in the bedroom. She dropped her wet umbrella, grabbing hold of Tyler's arm and pulling him back, away from the danger. "The Turtle Titan crashed through the window," Tyler replied causally, as if the mess was the most natural thing. "I…what? Tyler what are you talking about?" The babysitter was about to further question the boy when her pant pocket started buzzing. She reached in, pulling out a cell phone and holding it to her phone. "Hello? Yeah, it's Annie…What? She did! Okay, we're on our way now!" Annie threw her cell back into her pocket and faced Tyler with a grand smile. "He's born! You're baby brother was just born!"

Tyler stood gapping at Annie in disbelief. His mouth closed, forming a small smile. "Really?" he asked. "Well, why are we waiting? Let's go!" Tyler grabbed hold of Annie's hand, dragging the older teen towards the front door. "Woah, woah! Hold your horses buddy!" Annie yanked on Tyler's arm, stopping the boy mid step. "Since when were you so excited about your little brother being born? Last time I checked you didn't want anything to do with him."

"Yeah…" Tyler's head lowered shamefully. "I know, but it's just, he's my little brother! I have to take care of him and look out for him! No one else will! And—and I have to smack him when he acts dumb, like Raph does with Mikey!" Tyler said assertively, tugging on his sitter's arm once more. "We need to go!"

"Smack him? Tyler you can't do that!" Annie yelled with alarm. "I didn't mean now! I meant when he was _older_. Now go!" Tyler pulled on Annie's arm with more force, eager to head to the hospital. Annie sighed, following the enthusiastic boy outside the front door and locking it behind her.

Tyler ran towards the elevator, jumping with every step. He was excited. He had a new baby brother, he still didn't like how things were changing, but the difference was he was slowly starting to accept it. The first step was not being mad at his new little brother. He was actually eager to meet him, a bit wary but still eager. He was a big brother now and that meant he had new responsibilities. He needed to be a role model, show his little brother how to play the sports and what shows and superheroes were cool (and he could even boss him around). But more importantly, he would teach him it was alright to change, even if he didn't like it, because without change the world would be a lot more boring.

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter was a lot of fun for me to write, it was a bit harder for me to get into Mikey's head but I think I did an okay job. I promise the next chapter won't be as long, so you don't have to kill your eyes from reading all of this text. Hope you enjoyed reading it and see you next time!


	4. Guardians

**Summary:** _"K-Keep away you...lizard thing! Keep away!"_**  
Characters:** _Turtles & OC (Libby)  
_**Genre:** _Humor  
_**Written On: **_July 19th, 2012  
_**Disclaimer:** _TMNT © Nickelodeon_

**A/N:** Alright, this is a short chapter. The character featured this time is based on a random damsel-in-distress that is seen being saved by Casey and Raph in "Meet Casey Jones." Not one of my better chapters but I still had fun writing this. Enjoy.

* * *

**04: Guardians**

"Danger lurks in every corner, it can be hidden in the shadows or be right in front of us. It's not the danger that you should be looking out for, but for the people who protect us from it."  
_**— **__Lyra_

The first night that she had met the city's green heroes she thought that she was crazy.

It had been late in the night, close to eleven. She had gotten off work later than she had expected. The customer she had been assisting was hopeless when it came to computers and she had to get the man to send his broken laptop into the company. That whole process took her an extra hour and she was forced to stay after closing. Needless to say, she was beat.

Libby decided to cut through an alleyway to save some time and reach her apartment quicker. The thing was, some thugs had caught up to her and cornered her in the alley. She had noticed the strange man with the bizarre hairstyle, she was wary as she strolled past him, but she was sure he would leave her alone. She kept her hands on her purse and walked apprehensively, trying to reach her destination. A few feet into the alley two thugs appeared from the shadows, laughing creepily and forcing her backwards into the male with the outlandish hairdo.

Libby had been warned that a gang called the Purple Dragons ran the east side of town, in the area she lived in. She thought nothing of it at the time; she had only been living in New York for six months and believed she knew everything there was to know about the city. She was wrong.

Libby was trapped, three unsightly males with a terrible fashion sense surrounded her and there was no way for her to escape. She was terrified but her mind was being illogical and kept making her see her friends gloating. _"You should have listened to us Lib! Now you're in trouble!_"

Libby didn't put up a fight as they took her purse and out of nowhere a man wearing a hockey mask appeared, bashing a hockey stick against a garbage can lid. The man attacked the muggers with no remorse, intending to seriously injury them. Libby would have tried to intervene but she was more scared of the Jason imitator.

Things only got stranger from that point on. A large, green humanoid turtle (yes, that's right a _humanoid _turtle) jumped down from the top of a fire escape and grabbed the vigilante before he bashed in the thug's skull. Libby was relived at the lizard man's intervention, she wasn't too keen on seeing a bloody head. The gangsters got up and ran while the hockey mask punched the mutant turtle. Casey Jones chased after the Purple Dragons. She learned his name as he yelled it while running past her, _"You can run Purple Dragons! But you can't hide from Casey Jones!"_

The turtle got back onto his feet and promptly handed her the fallen purse. The turtle was surprisingly polite, apologizing for the man's actions and giving Libby her purse. Today she would have thanked him and even offered him a reward, but at the present time she did the opposite. She clutched the purse like it was in danger of being stolen by him and yelled at him, most likely insulting him, _"K-Keep away you...lizard thing! Keep away!" _and ran off, calling the police once she was at a safe distance.

It was one of the weirdest nights of her life and it wasn't the last time she had a run-in with the green men either.

* * *

The second night Libby had saw the green teens was a few weeks after. She had been staying with her friend, Veronica and her son, Mason. She had been traumatized by her encounter in the alleyway and had chosen to move into a home that was safe then her own. Veronica had been happy to open her doors to Libby, the two had been best friends since their college years and with being a single mother, it would be easier to have another person to help pay the rent.

The boy had woken up in the wee hours of the night, running down the hallway screaming for his mother, claiming that there were giant turtles in the bathroom. Veronica got up, as did Libby and she was led by her young son into the bathroom, only to find that it was empty. Veronica scolded Mason for waking her at such an ungodly hour and set him off to his room. Veronica had believed her son was lying but Libby thought otherwise.

The window in the room had been opened and Libby knew she had closed it when she had taken a shower. The lock had been unfastened and lifted wide open. She had peaked her head out the bathroom window, spotting two large shells in the shadows and their owners hanging from the laundry lines. Libby had shrieked when she saw them and one of the turtles yelped in response.

Veronica came running into the washroom, breathless and holding a tennis racket for some strange reason. She asked what happened and Libby explained to her friend what she had seen. Veronica gave Libby the same look she had given her son and sent Libby off to bed.

She hadn't been lying but was starting to think she was losing her mind.

* * *

The third time Libby witnessed the turtles was months later, when the city was being ravaged by war. The Purple Dragons, the mob and some odd ninja fellows were fighting in an all-out war. Citizens had been urged to stay inside and keep indoors for their own protection.

Libby needed to work however, paying the bills for a household of three was not easy and if no one was paid, nothing was bought. Veronica was fearful and kept her son home, taking an _indefinite sick leave _from work. Libby wasn't as scared; she had taken a few self-defense classes and felt she could take on anyone. That, plus she was the proud owner of a bottle of pepper spray.

She rode the bus home from work that night since Veronica refused to lend her the car. She sat at the back, reading a book entitled _The Strangeness of The Human World: Proof That Monsters Exist._ She had purchased the paperback on whim and had taken a liking to it. The book mentioned nothing about turtle humans existing but it was still a good read. She had ignored a majority of what was going on around her, but when the bus started swerving and passengers screamed, she paid full attention. She saw a giant metallic robot and three turtle men fighting it through the front window and at least knew she wasn't mad. The robot shot lasers at the bus and the metal contraption caught on fire.

Everybody ran off the bus when it came to a complete stop and Libby followed, not noticing the poor man who was trapped under some fallen debris. She just kept running until she reached the entrance to an alleyway and took refuge in there. One of the turtles must have seen her hiding there because the next thing she knew, the blue banded turtle came over to her, handing her the fellow she had been previously sitting beside and instructed her to get him to a hospital.

Libby took the man, staring after the turtle with a dumbfounded expression. He had saved the guy and didn't even have to. Libby began to think that perhaps they weren't monsters, but rather heroes. She took the man to the hospital and saw the turtles running across the rooftops once she left the place.

She actually smiled at the sight of them, but realized she never did get to finish reading that book.

* * *

A few times after that, Libby would see the turtles, whether it be running on the rooftops or hiding in the shadows. She actually got to speak with one of them during the invasion from the Triceratons. The strange dinosaur aliens had been rounding up people nearby Central Park and Libby had been unfortunate enough to be caught by them.

She was forced to walk in the long row of people and became stuck in the mass grouping when the barriers went up. Crazy stuff went down; she heard an explosion in the far distance and the shields came down when one of the turtles, the leader with the long blades, cut down one of the flying ships.

People ran about in a panic, stampeding over many of the aliens. The people all ran over and were given guns by a blue-haired male, the one Libby had met when she was mugged. She took a gun and shot at the aliens when they tried to attack the turtles. They didn't notice but she was glad to help.

The turtle in orange had jumped back, overwhelmed by a huge Triceraton. Libby didn't know what she was thinking, but she took hold of her new alien weapon and charged forward, shooting the alien repeatedly. The turtle was in shock, looking at her and waiting for what he must have thought was her screams. Libby smiled at him instead, telling him to run off and help his friends. The turtle, Mikey, as he introduced himself to her, returned the smile and went off to save the day. They were the ones who ended up defeating the dinosaur aliens, Libby just knew it.

She saw them numerous times afterwards but never actually interacted with them again. They were the ones who saved the city whenever it was in danger, Libby always believed that. To her, they were the city's guardians, its protectors. So long as the rumours floated about, telling about strange green costumed men helping to defend people, she knew New York would always be safe.


End file.
